Floor Plan of Jamestown Passive House by Shelter Residential
A Danish Morso wood stove is a focal point of the living room, where the family's Miniature Bull Terrier Hank naps on the sofa.
The minimalist home's siding will patina to a silvery gray tone.
The Tracy family gathers in their Jamestown, Rhode Island, home's sunlit dining room, where the one-wall kitchen can be seen in the background, chosen for its space-saving quality. Fisher & Paykel appliances are paneled in the same wood as the custom cabinetry.
A 12-foot-tall wood-clad multi-slide door in the open plan living-dining room offers an ocean view.
An outdoor shower provides a place to wash off sand after summer trips to the beach.
The three-bedroom home features a built-in bunk room. Large inset windows throughout allow an indoor-outdoor feel despite the single-story home's modest footprint, just over 1,000 square feet.
The home's siding will patina to a silvery gray tone. "I've always had a vision for this house in my head, and I didn't know if and when I'd ever get to build it. When this opportunity came up, it was sort of perfect," says Lauren Tracy. "We wanted it to look very minimal, with no eaves."
A view into a corner bedroom. Despite the home's efficiency, its interiors are filled with sunlight year-round.
Clear Alaskan yellow cedar vertical siding clads the exterior. Ryan designed a hidden gutter system, which he perfected after an ice storm hit the house when construction finished.
The single-volume home has been designed to appear to float over the lot on its deck. Ryan upgraded the existing foundation to support its passive design. "Originally, I wanted to make the whole house powered with wood pellets," he says. "But I decided against shoveling pellets in the snow. I'll get weird in a little bit less of a cold climate."
Every inch of the home is designed to accommodate the family's needs with ample hidden storage keeping spaces clutter free, complemented by open storage with those items more frequently reached for such as books to read and ingredients to cook with.
Casa Flecha is accessed via an open-air “tunnel” that cuts into the center of the home. The tunnel also leads to a small office, which is not accessible via the interior to create a physical division between work and play.
Jari and Anna furnished their patio and backyard with pieces from their furniture line, Skargaarden.
The entryway had to be reconfigured to accommodate the new lower level and its deck, while the existing upper deck was given shade from the sun.
The new staircase to the bunk room also has a privacy screen made of a bookcase with storage.
The new lower level makes space for guests and the owners' two children to have privacy.
The drop ceiling was removed to make the kitchen feel larger, and Troy RLM kitchen lights were installed above it.
The new layout feels more open and spacious, thanks in part to strategic open shelving and chicken wire on the cabinet fronts. All of the bowls and boards are by Elsie Green, and the ceramics are from Jenni Kayne.
The rustic wood used for the open shelving was sourced locally, and a carpenter based in the area made the cabinetry.
“We went with marble counters, using leftover materials to create a marble sink in one of the bathrooms on the main floor,” she says.
Architectural designer Grey Shaeffer of Willa Work designed a petite backyard guesthouse at her Portland, Oregon, home for occasions when her mom comes to visit. The siding and decking are a fused bamboo product from Dasso XTR, in classic espresso.
Kitchen and island
Stainless steel appliances, including the Sub-Zero refrigerator, Fisher & Paykel dishwasher, and Viking oven and cooktop, are seamlessly integrated with the natural maple paneling that Erik used here and throughout the house. The marble used for the countertops is Bianco Carrara. “It’s just a very clean palette,” he explains.
the kitchen is at the center of the living space
A large window adds natural light to the space and doubles as a seat.
Hard materials such as polished concrete were used for the interior floors and bench-tops. The interior brick walls were all painted white.
Kitchen looking South
Dining takes place at the large custom-fabricated table underneath pendant lighting. Seating is a mix of Eames Shell Chairs and Real Good chairs from Blu Dot.
The kitchen features oak cabinets by cabinetmaker Randy Landis and Caesarstone countertops. Marvin sliding doors open to one of the home's two patios.